Northern Oregon Coast Favorites from Our Time Living Here

We had the pleasure of living near some of the most famous Pacific Northwest coastal destinations during Hunter’s second travel P.T. contract. We had short-term rentals in both Cannon Beach and Seaside, OR during the fall. While we’re sure there’s more open during the summer, we got to see what living as a true local was like.

Living steps away from the beach was truly something else. It was so different than anywhere we’d lived before, and we’re so lucky to have been here for a short while. We got to explore SO much more of the north coast than we would have on our typical weekend adventures. We enjoyed a lot of food, drinks, sand, and sights near our home base.

CANNON BEACH

Cannon Beach is home to one of the most iconic landmarks, and is a quiet & quaint town. We spotted a ton of elk and bunnies right in our neighborhood!

• Tolovanna State Park - our absolute favorite view of Haystack Rock. This scenic spot is located on the south end, and our first rental was only a 10 minute walk from this park. I loved that the stretch of sand expanded a great distance horizontally, but the vertical distance to the water was short. It was never crowded in the fall, and there's a small parking lot with restrooms. Best of all, it's free.

• Pig ‘n Pancake - there are several locations for this homestyle diner along the Oregon Coast. It may be "touristy", but we enjoyed breakfast here on two occasions. They serve a variety of American classics for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

• Screw & Brew - small establishment serving seafood, American, and drinks. What's unique about this place is that it's half restaurant, half hardware store!

• Sealevel Bakery - the absolute cutest minimalist/beach themed coffee & bakery. One day while Hunter was at the gym, I ventured off here and got an Acai bowl and lavendar latte. Both were so delicious.

• Mo’s Seafood & Chowder - another chain with several locations along the Oregon coast. We weren't overly impressed with the menu. It all tasted very generic, and is sort of a tourist trap. However, they always seem to have the most scenic views. The Cannon Beach and Seaside locations were overlooking the beach.
  

SEASIDE

Seaside offers more in terms of dining, lodging, & shopping. Unlike Cannon Beach, you'll find grocery stores, fast food, and gas stations here, along with many authentic attractions.

• Ecola State Park - this was one of our favorite coastline views. You can sightsee from Ecola Point or venture down to Indian Beach. You can’t beat wooded hiking, walks along the ocean, and panaromic views all in one spot.

• Seaside Promenade - we lived right along "The Prom" at our second rental. The 1.5 mile oceanfront walkway offers beautiful views, and provides access to many of the local eats, gift shops, and tourist attractions such as the Seaside Aquarium and arcades. It's also home to the "End of the Lewis and Clark Trail" statue at the vehicle turnaround. We loved taking late afternoon or evening walks here. (Almost all of the restaurants below can be accessed easily from The Prom).

• Seaside Carousel Mall - a tiny mall with a variety of gift shops. I specifically loved getting souvenirs fromYour Store because it had a ton of sweatshirts, t-shirts, and tote bags all for $25 or less.

• Oregon Marketplace - a unique gift shop along the main town road with all things Oregon!

• Seastar Gelato - one of the places we miss the most about living in Seaside. They had the best ice cream (gelato) we’ve ever had. They had a large rotation of flavors that you could make into a shake or just eat plain!

• Seaside Brewing Company - local brewery with a small food menu and craft beers. Located on the front end of downtown Seaside

• Nonni’s Italian - authentic Italian made for a great anniversary dinner

• Dogger’s Seafood & Grill - recommended by a local for great seafood. We enjoyed this place on one of our last days here!

• Dundee’s Restaurant & Dundee’s Donuts - sports bar in one building, and a homemade donut shop in another. We tried some unique peanut butter filled donuts here, and enjoyed an evening out with friends at the sports bar for wings & burgers.

• Times Theater & Public House (Sisu Brewing) - this was such a unique venue. It’s a bar and movie theater combined! They served alcoholic beverages, movie theater snacks, and a full restaurant menu. They host both movies and live music events.
  

ASTORIA

• Lewis & Clark National Historical Park - this was a great spot for leisurely walks in the woods when we wanted a change from the coastline scenery. We got in for free with our America the Beautiful annual parks pass.

• Astoria Column - can park on the grounds for $5 per vehicle and climb up the stairs to the top of the tower. We didn’t make the time to go up, but have heard it has great panoramic views of the Columbia River. We were able to see it while driving through Astoria

• Fort Stevens State Park - this expansive beach is home to a really neat shipwreck and multiple trails

• Fort George Brewery - Astoria's largest brewery made for one of our favorite date night spots. Great food, great beer, and a fun atmosphere! This brewery has two levels, both serving the same beer but different menus. Downstairs serves pub fare, and upstairs serves assorted pizzas.

• Astoria Brewing Company - this place is tied for our favorite. While we loved the food and beer, we also loved being able to overlook the Columbia River. They have a wide variety of sandwiches/burgers, seafood, chowders, and salads. They also had an amazing Marionberry Lemonade (pregnant me really enjoyed the free refills on this!)

• Fortune & Glory - an eclectic hangout for ciders and mocktails

• Buoy Beer Co - has a full restaurant menu along with craft beer and sodas. We only enjoyed drinks at their 7th Street location. Their old building used to be along the riverfront, but collapsed in 2022.

• Obelisk Beer Co - probably our least favorite brewery, but had cool minimalist industrial vibes. No food available.

• Reachbreak Brewing - closed as of 2024
  

TILLAMOOK

• Tillamook Creamery - one of the most popular things to do along the Oregon Coast is visit the famous cheese factory and museum. They had all kinds of cheese inspired lunch options (mac and cheese, pizza, cheese curds, etc.) and ice cream. The food was pretty expensive, but we had to try it. If you don't feel like spending the money to eat there, visiting the factory is free. There was an expansive gift shop and interactive exhibits. This was the perfect rainy day activity! We got some free wrapped cheese samples to take home as well.
  

HIGHWAY 101 ROAD TRIP

We drove from Seaside to Yachats all in one day. We did this crazy 6 hour road trip all in the rain too, but we wanted to check off a couple more bucketlist items on our last weekend in Oregon. We probably would have spent the weekend there had the weather been better.

• Rusty Truck Brewing Co (Lincoln City, OR) - this car themed brewery was a great stop for lunch and a beer. The room was dimly lit and decked out with wooden walls and vintage plates. They also serve dinner and brunch as well

• Yaquina Head Lighthouse (Newport, OR) - the wind was blowing like crazy when we visited here, so we didn't get to stay long. Despite the weather, the views were still lovely. You can walk right up to the lighthouse and even explore the tide pools below.

• Devil's Punchbowl (Otter Rock, OR)- we didn't visit at the the right time of day, but it was intriguing to watch the waves crash and fill this rock bowl. This is apparently also a popular whale watching spot!

• Heceta Head Lighthouse (Between Yachats and Florence, OR) - This is by far my favorite lighthouse in all of Oregon. Even in the thick of gloom, this section of the Oregon Coast Highway (101) was incredibly beautiful. We've driven almost the entire highway at different points in time, and the journey here was unmatched. The 1 mile round-trip trail to the lighthouse is worth the dreamy views of the thick forest, bridge, and rocky coastline. The lighthouse itself is a bit tainted, but its red and white colors are a stunning contrast against the landscape.
  

ILWACO, WASHINGTON

A bonus if you have more time to spend in Northern Oregon ;) Both lighthouses are only a couple minutes apart from each other in a state park. This was about a 45-60 minute drive from Seaside, OR.

• Cape Disappointment Lighthouse - while the lighthouse itself wasn't as impressive as some of the others I've seen, the 0.5 mile walk here boasted beautiful aerial views of a cove.

• North Head Lighthouse - one of my favorite lighthouses of all time. It was classy, minimalistic, and stark, and only a 0.6 mile paved roundtrip walk up to the lighthouse.